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Ants Everywhere

July 23, 2013

Seemingly everywhere, homeowners must beware

Ants might be small, but their impact is big. Often seen as merely a nuisance, some species have the potential to cause structural damage to your home or business, contaminate food, damage plants and even attack and injure animals and humans.

Ants eat almost anything and have few natural predators to control their high population numbers. They are also among the most difficult pests to control.

Common home remedies include traps and sprays, yet ants can be resistant and return, usually in larger numbers than before. The best way to control all ant species however, is to focus and treat the source (colony) of the infestation directly. Add the increasing spread of non-native species being introduced to the US, and there is no doubt that there are more ants now than there were years ago.

Carpenter ants, one of the common species that can be found in homes throughout the United States are silent menaces that destroy wood and can cause damage to homes like termites and thrive in the same environment as humans. Outdoors, multiple colonies can be located in dead wood such as fallen tree limbs, tree holes and stumps. Indoors, they settle in roofs, ceilings, walls, ventilated crawl spaces and attics. The Queen can live 15 years with workers living as long as seven years. Carpenter ants feed on insects and human food, not wood - as their name would imply.

An ant prevention program should include the following:

Identify which types of ants have invaded your home.

Protect your house by trimming away any plants and over-hanging tree branches that touch the structure, as these can be used as bridges to enter homes.

To deal with ants already inside, make sure all food is sealed in containers. Keep trash picked up and placed in closed receptacles. Ants are also attracted to water, so drain your sink after washing the dishes.

Granular bait formulas applied outside a structure can be an effective treatment for controlling indoor ant infestations – drawing the ants back outside.

Focus on exclusion – thoroughly inspect the exterior of the home and seal or caulk as many cracks and entry points as possible. Check all windows and doors for properly fitted screens and weather stripping.

If you choose to spray, limit it to spot treatments, and cracks and crevices where ants are entering a structure, such as door thresholds and other entry points.

It’s much easier to deal with ants if you take action the moment you see them. It doesn’t take long for ants to swarm and take up residence in your home or business, possibly spreading bacteria and destroying your property.

Article provided courtesy of Truly Nolen. For more information call 800.468.7859 or visit their website at www.TrulyNolen.com